Closed conduit for electric railways



[.NOMOde P. PL0DEoK,sr.

CLOSED CONDUIT ECR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 520,938.

Patented June 5, 1894.

vUNITED STATES PATENT OEELCE.

PAUL PLoDEoK, sR., oF CLEVELAND, 'oi-11o.

CLOSED CONDUIT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,938, dated June 5,1894. Application led February 21, 1894-.. Serial No.l 501,006. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

De it known that I, PAUL PLODEOK, Sr., a citlzen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closed Conduits forElectric Street-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric street railways, and consists of anunderground conduit for the electric conductors and the trolley arms,said conduit covered by a row of lids which are lifted bythe passingtrolley arm connected to the truck of a car.

The object of my invention is to provide a means of completely closingthe conduit, leav- 1ng no slot or open space inthe roadway, andcompletely covering up and inclosing the electric trolley and conductormechanism.

The lnvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a cross-section of a conduit contaming the trolley andelectric conductor mechanism, and the lids covering the conduit, showmgalso an end view of a car truck havlng a hanger connecting with andcarrying the trolley and the manner of operating the lids or covers.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top or planview showing the appearance of the lids in the roadway. Fig. 4 is a topview of the hanger and trolley carrier. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of theopening into conduit with a lid or cover closing the same.

A represents a conduit and B are yokes placed at suitableintervals inthe conduit, which support the interior mechanism. In the top of theconduit and the yokes is made a longitudinal slot or opening, which maybe from four to eight inches in width as desired. At each side of saidopening are provided longitudinal iiat bars C, C, supported on theVyokes B. D' D are lids for covering said slot or opening. These lidsare made about square in form and have at the adjoining sides, rabbets,and E E are narrow plates fitted to lie in the rabbet's and cover thejoints between said lids, thereby completely shutting the opening Vintothe conduit. The lids and plates are hinged independently to the bar Cat one side of the opening by a hinge that will permit the lids to beturned upward to nearly a vertical position, but not clear over, neithercan the lids be removed, except by first drawing the bolts or screwswhich secure the hingeof 5 5 of the lids have ribs e, e, between whichare 6c provided anti-friction rollers e. F are brackets provided atsuitable intervals in the conduit to which are attached bars, suitablyinsulated, which carry or sup port the electric conductors G, G, two ofwhich are provided, one being for the return circuit. A suitableelectric feed wire mayY also be contained within this conduit.

H is a hanger detachably fixed tothe rear` cross bar of the car-truck,to the lower end of 7o which is attached an arm I made of thin metal,and tri-angular in shape as seen in Fig. 4, the object of which is toprovide diagonal sides on the arm I, which moves along over the bar C inclose proximity thereto, and

would push outwardly any stone, dirt or other loose obstruction thatmight lie near the moving edges of the lids, and clear the way andprevent' anysuch obstacles getting in the way ofthe close shutting downof the lids after 8o the lifter had passed.

J is the lid lifter consisting of a bar attached at its middle part tothe depending arm I. It

has a curved or arched top surface, capable of gradually lifting thelids D by the roller e of the lids rolling onthe said arched surface,and allowing the arm I to pass along under the raised edges of saidlids. will lift the lids running in either direction.

The arched bar Y KK are trolley levers pivotally attached 9e toeach sideof the bar J, and extend to the rear, having trolley wheels lo, lo,running on the conductors Cr, G.` To the under side of the bar J isprovided a loop or eyebolt to which may be hooked a rod L for theconvenience of dragging a brush M when desired, for sweeping the conduitof dirt that may accumulate in time, and depositing same in pits (notshown), atconvenient locations in the bottom of the conduit. n

Having described my invention,I claim- 1. In a conduit for undergroundelectric railways the combination with a conduit of hinged lids D, D, E,E, lids D D provided on IOC vided with lids D, E, for covering theopening in the roadway, of a hanger ll attached to car-truck, arm Iattached to hanger H, arched bar J attached to arm I adapted to lift thelids as described, of trolley levers K, attached to said bar J and arm Iand trolley wheels 7a, 7c, adapted to run on the conductors G, G,substantially as described.

PAUL PLODECK, SR.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. TIBBITTs, M. G. NORTON.

